SEATTLE, Wash. — Jules James stood outside the Lake Union Mail he has owned for 26 years, describing the consequences he and his Eastlake neighbors are living with because of chronic inebriates.
"Consequences are cleaning up fecal matter out of our garages, having street drunks in our parks, doing all sorts of things, howling at kids," said James. "It's really an unpleasant situation."
He says there is evidence all over the neighborhood that chronic drunks have found their way to Eastlake, because the surrounding neighborhoods have pushed them out.
"Yes, on all sides of us," said James. "We are an island for alcohol. And that's the problem."
The neighborhoods surrounding Eastlake -- the University District, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill and all of downtown Seattle -- are designated Alcohol Impact Areas. That means businesses there aren't allowed to sell certain beers and wines favored by the chronically drunk.
Moreover, those neighborhoods get extra police attention the drunks don't like, says the president of the Eastlake Community Council.
"And so since we have none of the protections of the Alcohol Impact Area," said Chris Leman. "The mayor's emphasis efforts through the police department have worsened the problem."
Now he is asking his neighbors to send photographic evidence of the problem to the city's "Find it, Fix it" app.
"Take a picture of it," Leman said. "Your cellphone will identify for the city the location. And then you just email it. That will help the city realize there's a problem."
Leman acknowledges the first step is getting stores to voluntarily stop selling the fortified alcohol. He says they are working on that.
They won't rest, he added, until they solve the problem.
KIRO
